Crumble-Topped Dessert Ready to Pop into the Oven

With just three ingredients, this crumble topping mixture is easy to commit to memory and easy to prepare. It can be an invaluable trick to have "up your cook's sleeve" because it can be used to make any number of desserts and combines well with different flavors.

I rely on this mixture each time I wish to add something extra to whatever I'm making. Crumble is a godsend when you run out of ingredients but desire to add something extra to finish something. For example, one time, I was expecting company and was making cherry pie, but I ran out of pastry. What to do? I topped the pie with crumble and my guests raved over it. And they weren't any the wiser. In fact, they were intrigued with the topping and wondered how I'd made it.

Crumble also transforms muffins into special treats and ordinary becomes almost extraordinary. If you've ever visited a mall with specialty muffin shops, you've no doubt sampled some of their giant muffins with the delicious crumbly topping. If you've ever wondered what those delicious crumbles were gracing the tops of the muffins, now you know. And you can easily make muffins at home and add the same delicious topping.

If you have left-over fruit and want to use it up or turn it into a dessert, you can easily top it with crumble. Because as the fruit cooks, it produces liquid, the crumble will be soft, not like a crisp. If topping fruit, you may choose to reduce the amount of butter you use.

This mixture can be prepared in seconds, as long as your butter is at room temperature, but make sure your butter isn't overly soft (as can happen in summer).

Not a Crisp

This is a soft, rich crumble. If a crispier topping is desired, reduce butter amount or use a recipe for crisp.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature but not too soft

1/2 cup sugar, white

1/2 cup flour, white

Method

Place ingredients into a bowl, then cut together with a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. This step is important so that small "crumbles" form. Do NOT mix with a wooden spoon or beaters.

Preparing Crumble Mixture

By using a pastry cutter, small crumbles will form. | Source

Tip

It is best to use white sugar when making crumble. If you only have brown sugar on hand, because it's softer, cut back on the butter amount.

Can You Say Yummy?

Wonderful crumble can used to "ice" muffins or sweet loaves or for making cobbler-type dishes.

Dos and Don'ts

Do use a pastry cutter and cut in ingredients until mixture is crumbly.

Do not cream or stir ingredients together.

Uses for Crumble Topping

If you run out of icing ingredients, use crumble topping as a streusel to "ice" your muffins. Topping muffins with crumble takes them to a whole new delicious level. You simply sprinkle the mixture on muffin dough before baking. Imagine maple or apple muffins with a delicious crumbly mixture on top.

Crumble also makes a wonderful topping for sweet loaves, such as apple or banana loaf.

If you run out of pie crust or you want to "fancy-up" an open-faced pie, crumble makes a tasty topping.

Use crumble topping with any of your favorite fruits and to make a tasty dessert.

Adding Soft Crumble Topping to "Ice" Muffins

Insights

This topping mixture works best with quick breads; however, it can be used to top fruit. Because fruit produces liquid when cooked, this mixture may become softer. It is still delicious, though, however you use it.

Blackberry Crumble

Fruit Crumbles

You can make a variety of fruit-based desserts by using this topping mixture. This comes in handy if you have left-over fruit and want to somehow dress it up.

Raspberry - Spread berries evenly and top with mixture. Good with vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

Rhubarb-Strawberry - When using rhubarb, it is best to combine it with strawberries.

Rhubarb Crumble

Source

Where Did Crumble Come From?

Crumbles can be traced to the European colonization of the Americas. They've been associated with food rationing and are thought to have arisen in Britain during World War II when shortage of ingredients made making pie more challenging. Necessity became the mother of invention.

In modern times, a fruit crumble is often served with something creamy, like whipping cream or ice cream, which makes a perfect counterpart to the tart fruit and the rich crumble mixture.

Did You Know?

If you make a crumble, you won't get a crisp; if you make a crisp, you won't get a crumble. It is important to know the differences.

Which Will You Choose?

If you desire crispy and spicy, choose a crisp.

If you want a hearty "stewed" dish, choose a cobbler

If you want a dessert topped with a rich, soft streusel topping, choose crumble

Difference Between Crumble, Cobbler and Crisp

At times, the words crumble, cobbler and crisp are used interchangeably but generally, there are recognized differences between all three.

Crisp is, as the name hints of, crispier. This is achieved by using oats in the mixture. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves lend a spicy flavor--and come fall, this is an oft'-enjoyed dessert, when apples and other fruits are harvested and plentiful.

Cobbler is a fruit-based dessert that is a close cousin to crumble. Often it is topped with a crust comprised of a biscuit or dumpling-like mixture, and the batter may include either milk or eggs. At times, cobbler includes bread crumbs or graham crumbs. The name cobbler may have arisen because dough was dropped on top of fruit in clumps, which resembled cobbles.

Colorful American names for cobbler include:

Betty

Buckle

Grunt,

Slump

Sonker

Pandowdy.

New Englanders make Grunts and Slumps in an iron skillet on top of the stove.

Sonkers are deep-dish cobblers from North Carolina.

A Brown Betty is made with fruit and bread or graham cracker crumbs

A Pandowdy commonly includes a crust that is broken or "dowdied" before serving.

Crumble can be likened to a streusel-like topping. The ingredients are cut until they form small crumbles. Care must be taken when using crumble to top moisture-rich fruit or the crumble may absorb too much liquid and thus "melt." Crumble is usually made with flour, butter and white sugar. Crumble works best when used to top something that doesn't have too much liquid, such as coffee cake, banana loaf or muffins, (as seen in the video below). Fruit crumble is often served with custard or ice cream.

Did You Catch The Crumble-Making Tips?

Do You Make Crumble Topping?

Why Crumble?

Every busy cook should know how to make a good crumble. This topping mixture can be a life-saver when you are short on ingredients or short on time. And because it's made from just a few ingredients, it's easy to commit to memory. Once you've tasted it, I'm sure you will agree, wonderful crumble it is downright delicious.

Comments 10 comments

Athlyn Green 4 years ago from West Kootenays Author

Hi Rachel,

I've used this recipe for years and as long as you cut in the butter with a pastry cutter so that the mixture is crumbly it works fine. It is so easy to remember, as well. This makes a softer crumble topping. It is not meant to be like crisp such as seen with apple crisp. Your butter should not be overly soft.

Rachel 4 years ago

I used your recipe and it was a disaster that is too much butter. I would use 1/4 of a cup with the flour and sugar amounts staying the same. I just put this on top of my Banana Bread and I am terrified of the results. It was not crumbly at all. Too much butter.

Athlyn Green 4 years ago from West Kootenays Author

Hi Brandy,

I'm not sure why you had problems. I've used this recipe for years and the crumble turns out perfectly every time. It is important to cut in your butter and continue cutting mixture until it is crumbly. If butter is left in large chunks I could see it melting.

This recipe makes a soft crumble, such as is seen on muffins. It is not as crunchy as say a topping mixture containing oats, as is used in crisps.

Jamie 5 years ago

Mine was crumbly. Cutting the butter in is crucial, also added brown sugar!

Athlyn Green 5 years ago from West Kootenays Author

Did you top something with it, and bake it in the oven? It becomes crispy as it bakes.

Jane 5 years ago

I used this recipe also and it was smooth not crumbly at all. I added more flour I hope it works.

Athlyn Green 6 years ago from West Kootenays Author

Hi sammy,

Did you use a pastry cutter and did you cut the mixture until it was crumbly?

Sammy 6 years ago

Perhaps I did something wrong, but I found this recipe to be very smooth and not crumbly at all, I wouldn't use this recipe again...

Athlyn Green 7 years ago from West Kootenays Author

Hi Allison,

Yes wonderful crumble topping is so easy to remember and to make and tastes so delicious. I've used it for years.

Allison 7 years ago

Excellent - just what I needed! Have some rhubarb going begging and I need a crumble recipe to use. Couldn't remember exactly what went in it! Thanks!